Happy Vermont

Russell Farm in Starksboro has been in the Christmas tree business for 40 years. Located off Route 116 in Addison County, the family-owned former dairy farm is where locals and visitors flock to every November and December to cut their own Christmas trees.

A visit to Russell Farm includes a horse-drawn wagon ride, hot chocolate, homemade cookies, and lots of holiday cheer. 

Host Erica Houskeeper talks with Russell Farm owner Dave Russell and his grandson Brandon about Christmas trees, the importance of tradition, and the future of the farm.

Learn more at www.happyvermont.com 

Host Erica Houskeeper returned to her home state of Vermont in November 2006. In this episode, she shares some of her favorite areas of Vermont and talks about a few places she's come across and fallen in love with in recent years. 

You can find more Vermont stories by Erica on www.happyvermont.com.

Host Erica Houskeeper attended the annual Stellafane Convention of Amateur Telescope Makers in Springfield to see telescope makers in action. She also picked up some stargazing tips along the way. 

Host Erica Houskeeper meets up with Mike Snyder, Vermont's Commissioner of Forests, Parks, and Recreation to talk about how Vermont's fall foliage season is shaping up.  They also compare notes about scenic Vermont state lands to explore this season and why fall foliage in the Green Mountain State is better than the rest. 

Patrick Fultz and Leslie Browne intended to buy a house in Woodstock, Vermont. Instead, they end up purchasing and renovating a motel outside the center of town. Host Erica Houskeeper interviews the couple about why they decided to move to Vermont and what advice they give to guests who are visiting the area. 

The small town of Wardsboro is where you’ll find a country store, local library, post office, and town hall. High on a hill just outside of the center of town is the farm where John Gilfeather developed the Gilfeather turnip, which is now the official Vermont State Vegetable. 

In this episode, host Erica Houskeeper talks with Wardsboro residents about John Gilfeather, the tight-lipped farmer behind the turnip and why the this heirloom vegetable is important to the community. 

Update 8/30/2021 7 pm: I just received word that the 2021 Gilfeather Turnip Festival has been canceled. 

Not only is Susan Shashok an environmentally conscious entrepreneur, she’s also civic-minded. Susan served on the Middlebury selectboard for seven years and is the town moderator for Middlebury’s annual Town Meeting—a position vacated a few years ago by former Vermont Governor Jim Douglas.

In this episode, host Erica Houskeeper talks to Susan about Caroline's Dream, the skincare company she founded 20 years ago. Susan shares the challenges and rewards of running a small business, and what it means to be an introvert, a Vermonter, and a healer. 

Learn more about Susan at www.happyvermont.com.  

If you’ve ever driven down Route 100 through the town of Rochester, you’ve likely noticed the Rochester Café. Constructed in the 1880s, the building has been used over the years as a drug store, a bank, a dentist office, a barber shop, and even a funeral parlor.

For the past 30 years, the building has been home to the Rochester Café. Last year, Rochester native Stephanie Lary returned to her hometown to be the general manager of the café. In this episode, Stephanie talks about coming home to run the same cafe that she worked at as a teenager and what she loves about Rochester. 

Learn more at www.happyvermont.com 

Paulette Staats and Paul Shriver of Braintree have explored more than 40 Vermont dirt roads by foot ever since they became empty nesters. The retired couple share some of their favorite dirt roads and what they've learned about each other and themselves on their walks. 

Winemaker Kendra Knapik spent part of her childhood in Vermont's Champlain Islands, where her grandfather operated a dairy farm and later a golf course. 

Kendra is a veterinary oncologist, and her husband Rob is a full-time professor and chair of the physics department at Norwich University. The vineyard is located in Grand Isle, while their winery – where they produce natural wine – is at their home in Stowe. 

In this episode, Kendra talks about her path to becoming a vineyard owner, incorporating sheep into the vineyard, and why she feels at home in the Champlain Islands.

For more information about the vineyard, visit http://ellisonestatevineyard.com.